Improvement in car-couplings



P. BROWN.

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

Patented0ct.15,1872.

@uveutur: 9&M

' gummy PATENT QFFICE.

PERRY BROWN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,238, dated October 15, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY BROWN, of Louis'ville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide safejand effective means for coupling railroad car's together automatically; and it consists,

first, in a series of rollers arranged horizontally in the mouth of the coupling, by means of which cars of different heights are coupled together; and secondly, in a device for supporting and relieving the coupling-pin, the construction and arrangement of parts being as hereinafter more fully described.

I am aware that the above statement must be limited by the fact that rollers, arranged on rods set vertical in the mouth of a draw-head, have been employed by others previous to the conception of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the coupling taken on the line w a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view partly in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the draw-head. B is the mouth of the coupling. D is the coupling-link. E is the coupling-pin. F represents a number of 'ro1lers placed in vertical grooves H H in the mouth B, one upon the other, as seen in the drawing. G is a spring above the upper roller, of rubber or metal, which is designed to bear sufficiently upon the roller to hold the link in place when the latter is introduced, as seen in Fig. 1. .By means of these rollers cars of varying height may be coupled together.

It Will make no difference where the end of the link may strike, the roller struck will turn and the link will enter between it and the adjacent one, either above or below, as the case may be. By this arrangement the link will always be in a horizontal position without requirin g any hand adjustment. I is a vertical shaft which passes through the upper portion of the coupling, with a crank, J, on its upper end, and with its lower end stepped into the bottom of the coupling, as seen at K. v L is a recess in the under side of the upper part of the coupling, which embraces the couplingpin hole. M is a horizontal plate on the shaft 1, which works in the recess L when the shaft is turned by the crank, and when turned around in one direction it intercepts the coupling-pin hole, and supports the pin in an upright position when the car is uncoupled. N is the pin-hole through the top of the coupling. O is a wing on the shaft I extending from the top to the bottom of the couplingchamber I. As seen in Fig. 2, this shaft is placed on one side and in such a position that when turned so that the plate M is supporting the pin the end of the link will strike the wing when the cars come together and turn the shaft, which will push the plate M from under the pin and allow the latter to drop by its own gravity through the link and complete the connection.

. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a draw-head for railroad cars the rollers F, arranged substantially as described, for 

